About 1.4 million people are currently on active duty in the military with another 1,259,000 people on reserve (with 456,000 people in the Army and Air National Guard). There is currently no conscription. Women can serve in most combat positions, and in all non-combat military jobs. Because of war, some of these non-combat jobs actually see combat regularly.[4]

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All the branches of the US military have both Officers and Enlisted. Most Enlisted people with a rank of E-4 and above are called Non-commissioned Officers (NCOs); the exception is the Air Force where E-5 is considered the first NCO rank. Their usual duties are to supervise or make sure that common jobs are done properly every day. Most branches also includes Warrant Officers (Chief Warrant Officers in the Navy.) They are considered experts in their field, they are higher rank than other enlisted troops, but below officers. There are four ranks of Warrant Officers: WO-1 through WO-4 (CWO-1 to CWO-4)

*Each branch of the military has only one of these specific E-9 grade enlisted personnel and are considered the senior enlisted person of their branch. The Sergeant Major of the Army, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force are the spokespersons of the enlisted force at the highest levels of their services.